Translation of abstract (English)

„Hoping for Immortality in the Pure Land of the West” treats in monographic form the temple of the Great Buddha near Bin county in Shaanxi province, China, that was founded in the first years of the Tang-dynasty. This work offers a complete documentation of all image caves and engraved inscriptions in the temple complex, which was thoroughly examined in field campaign in 1993 on the occasion of a Chinese-German conservation project. Furthermore, it investigates the overall iconographic program of the complex and lays particular stress on reconstructing and analyzing the main cave, called “Cave of the Great Buddha”. This cave turned out to represent in three-dimensional, architectural form the Pure Land of the West with Buddha of Immeasurable Life enthroned within. Consulting relevant sutra-texts and commentaries of the time, an effort is made to understand the cave, particularly its unusual ground plan and iconographic program, as a place where certain rituals have been held in Early Tang-dynasty. Furthermore, a discussion of the foundation and history of the temple is provided based on inscriptions preserved on the walls of two minor caves. The work contains an appendix with transcriptions and sketch-maps of all inscriptions, and numerous so far unpublished photos.